Process of producing cinematographic three- and multi-color pictures



May 14, 1935.

G. HEYMER PROCESS OF PRODUCING CINEMATOGRAPHIC THREE-AND MULTI-COLOR PICTURES mum/rn /w'sensa//bo Filed' April 13, 1932 wdw.

Patented May 14, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE ritoorzss or raonucmo CINEMATO- Gmirmc rrnaEE- AND Mmm-coma PICTURES Application April 13, 1932, Serial No. 605,030 In Germany April 15, 1031 2 Claims.

My present invention relates to a process of producing threeand four-color pictures.

One of its objects provides a process of obtainingthreeand multi-color pictures by a combination of the additive and subtractivev method.

Further objects will be apparent from the detailed specification following hereafter.

Most colored cinematographic pictures are produced according to the additive or subtractive two-color process. In the additive processes the light emanating from the object is divided by means of a suitable system so as to produce side by side two corresponding pictures which, for reproduction, are projected on the screen in co- 15 incidence but in complementary colors. In the subtractive processes two partial pictures are arranged in coincidence on the two sides of a film coated on each side with a light-sensitive layer, then printed and dyed in complementary colors. In both cases difficulty is experienced in extending the process to the production of three-color pictures. In the additive process the addition of a third partial picture involves a reduction of the size of the picture, a considerable enlargement of the optical system and a diminution of brightness, while in the subtractive process the arrangement of three superimposed layers causes a great lack of denition in projection and difliculties in the development of the third emulsion layer intercalated between the support and another emulsion layer.

According to this invention by a combination of the additive and subtractive processes, there can be produced in a simple manner films or plates adapted for the production of satisfactory three-color or four-color pictures by simultaneous projection of the several component partial color pictures. In the following I describe the method when applied to the manufacture of 40 three-color pictures. The light emanating from the object is divided, by means of one of the known light-dividing systems, into two bundles of light rays, and in the path of one bundle of rays there is inserted a color-filter which trans- 45 mits one of the three component colors, while in the path ofthe other bundle there is placed a filter which transmits the remaining two of the three component colors. The bundles of rays passing through the filters are caused to fall on two emulsion layers sensitized for different colors and arranged one behind the other in the form of a bi-pack. The negatives produced are printed in known manner ony a film coated on each side with an emulsion layer. The positives of the negatives produced behind the color nlter `fiue filter and a blue filter.

which has the greater permeability are dyed or toned according to one of the usual methods, each in the color complementary to the color sensation recorded on the corresponding negative; whereas the positive of the negative produced behind the color filter which is permeable only izo one of the three component colors is protected from the action of the treating liquids in a suitable manner by means of a mask or by applying to it a temporary protective layer. The finished positive film is projected by the same optical system and filters as those used for taking the negativefk'- n The following example illustrates the invention as applied to the production of three-color pictures, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1"represents the arrangement for taking a. negative,

Fig. 2 the arrangement for projecting the printed positive,

Fig. 3 a front view, c

Fig. 4 a cross section of a bi-pack film as used in my process, and Fig. 5 a cross section of anotherbi-pack film suitable for my invention.

As shown in Fig. l, the light rays emanating from the object enter a light dividing system constructed in such a manner that the light rays are divided in two bundles. In the paths of the two bundles emerging from the light dividing system there are inserted respectively a minus- After passage through the filter the light rays fall on the bipack film and producel therein the different color sensations as shown in Fig. 1, the red component being produced behind the green component, and the area of the second emulsion layer positioned behind the area. which contains the blue component remaining unexposed. The negatives thus obtained are preferably printed on a film coated on leach face with an emulsion layer. In this case the green and the blue component are printed side by side onto the one face and the red component is printed onto the other face in such manner that the developed picture coincides with that of the green component. The area behind the blue component is left unexposed. After development, the positive of the green component is dyedpurple and the positive of the red component is dyed bluish green, care being taken when dyeing the positives of the green and the red components that the black and white positive of the blue component remains undyed. The finished film is projected by means of the same light dividing system and filters used in taking the pictures, the filters being arranged in the paths of the corresponding bundles of light, as shown in Fig. 2. The lm on which the negatives are produced is arranged in the form of a usual bi-pack as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, and may be`of normal size. Two pictures are produced side by side in the manner illustrated in Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 4 the two emulsion layers of the bi-pack are in contact; the emulsion layer in which the green and blue components are produced. is sensitive to blue and green and the emulsion layer in which the red component is produced is sensitive to red. The latter layer may either be dyed yellow and sensitized to red as shown in Fig. 4 or it may be provided, in the process of its manufacture, with a red tllter by pouring in which case a panchromatic emulsion may be used for the second layer, as shown in Fig. 5. v

The process, in the nrst place, is intended more specially for the production of cinematographic color pictures on lms. It is, however, likewise suited for purposes of color photography, the emulsion in this case being, if required, supported on glass plates.

What I claim is:

l. A process for producing three-color pictures, which comprises dividing the rays of light emanating from the object into two bundles by means of a. light-dividing system, arranging in the path of one bundle a color illter permeable to one of the three component colors and in the path of the other bundle a color filter permeable to the remaining of the three component colors, causing the bundle of rays transmitted by the nlters to fall on two emulsion layers of suitable colorsensitivity arranged one behind the other in the form of a bi-pack, so that the two color components are recorded side by side in one emulsion layer and a third color component is recorded in the second layer in coincidence with one of the color components in the ilrst named layer, developing the exposed emulsion layers, printing the negatives and dyeing or toning the two coincident positives each in the color com-V plementary to the color component recorded on the corresponding negative, and projecting the film through the same optical system and illters as those used for recording the object, whereby a picture in color results.

2. A process for producing three color pictures, which comprises dividing the rays of light emanating from the object into two bundles by means of a light-dividing system, arranging in the path of one bundle a blue color filter and in the path o! the other bundle a minus-blue color filter, causing the bundle of rays transmitted by the iilters to fall on two emulsion layers arranged one behind the other in the form of a bi-pack and sensitive to green and blue and to red respectively so that the green and blue components are recorded side by side in one emulsion layer and the red component is recorded in the other emulsion layer in coincidence with the green component, developing the exposed emulsion layers, printing the negatives on a film coated on both sides with a light-sensitive emulsion layer, in such a manner that the positives of the green and red components are in coincidence, dyeing the positive of the green component purple, and that oi' the red component bluish-green, while leaving that of .the blue component undyed, and projecting the nlm through the same optical system and lters as those used 4in recording the object, whereby a picture in colors results.

. GERD HEYMER. 

